1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to sweetness synergy and a delayed and enhanced sweetness effect achieved by combinations of specific intense sweeteners and specific bulking agents. More particularly, this invention relates to a synergistic sweetening effect found between the combination of chlorodeoxysugar derivatives such as 4,1',6'-trichloro-4,1',6'-trideoxygalactosucrose (Sucralose, a commercially available product of McNeil Specialty Products Company of Skillman, N.J.) and bulking agents which comprise at least about 50% maltitol. The synergistic sweetening compositions may be utilized in a wide variety of ingestible compositions. This invention also relates to methods by which these synergistic sweetening compositions may be prepared.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A commonly noted deficiency in ingestible products such as chewing gums, hard and soft confections and the like is the relatively rapid exhaustion of the sweetness sensation during chewing This sweetness loss frequently occurs within the first 3 to 5 minutes of chewing. Accordingly, it is desirable to develop ingestible products which have extended sweetener release.
Intense sweetening agents are natural or synthetic compounds which have a sweetening intensity greater than that of sugar (sucrose) and which oftentimes have a lower caloric value than that of sugar. Because the intense sweeteners provide greater sweetening capacity than sugar, smaller amounts of the sweeteners will provide sweetening intensity equivalent to larger amounts of sugar. Intense sweeteners are well known in the art and are widely used in place of sugar in many low calorie and/or noncariogenic compositions. Intense sweeteners which are not non-caloric, that is, have a caloric value, can provide compositions which have decreased caloric value, as compared to sugar-sweetened compositions, because far lower amounts of the intense sweetener are required to achieve optimum sweetness in the composition.
Intense sweeteners have a wide range of chemically distinct structures and, hence, possess varying properties. These intense sweetener compounds include proteins such as thaumatin (Talin, a commercially available product of Tate & Lyle Products, Reading, United Kingdom), dipeptides such as N-L-alpha-aspartyl-L-phenylalanine 1-methyl ester (Aspartame, a commercially available product of the Nutrasweet Company, Deerfield, Ill.) and dihydrochalcones. Each of these compounds has a distinct sweetening intensity as compared to sucrose and this sweetening intensity is well documented For example, the following compounds have these different sweetening intensities:
______________________________________ Intensity Compound (compared to sucrose) ______________________________________ Soluble saccharin salts 300X Cyclamate salts 30X N--L-alpha-Aspartyl-L-phenylalanine 180X 1-methyl ester (Aspartame) Potassium salt of 6-methyl- 200X 1, 2, 3-oxathiazin-4(3H)-one- 2, 2-dioxide (Acesulfame-K, a commercially available product of Hoechst Celanese Corporation, Somerville, New Jersey) 4, 1', 6'-Trichloro-4, 1', 6'-trideoxy- 600X galactosucrose (Sucralose, a commercially available product of McNeil Specialty Products Company, Skillman New Jersey) L-alpha-Aspartyl-N-(2, 2, 4, 4- 2000X tetramethyl-3-thietanyl)-D- alaninamide hydrate (alitame, a commercially available product of Pfizer, New York, New York) ______________________________________
Because each intense sweetener is chemically distinct, each sweetener presents a different challenge with respect to the actual use of such sweetener in ingestible compositions. For example, some intense sweeteners present stability problems, such as Aspartame, which exhibits instability in the presence of aldehydes, ketones, moisture and the like. Other intense sweeteners have an associated bitter taste or off-note, such as Saccharin (a commercially available product of PMC Specialty Group Inc., Cinncinnati, Ohio), stevioside, Acesulfame-K , glycyrrhizin, dipotassium glycyrrhizin, glycyrrhizic acid ammonium salt, and thaumatin (Talin).
Certain intense sweeteners have been used to offset the associated bitter aftertaste or unpleasant offnote of other intense sweeteners. For example, United Kingdom patent application No. 2154850A, assigned to Tate & Lyle plc, discloses the use of a combination of at least two intense sweeteners to modify the associated unpleasant taste of one of the sweeteners (cyclamate). The combination of the two sweeteners is said to provide a preferred sweetness. Specifically, a composition is disclosed for sweetening a beverage such as a cola, tea or coffee which comprises combining a chlorosucrose sweetener with a cyclamate, which is either alone or is in combination with other sweeteners.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,495,170, issued to Beytes et al. and assigned to Tate and Lyle plc, discloses synergistic sweetening compositions which comprise a mixture of a chlorodeoxysugar and another sweetening agent which has an associated bitter taste. The chlorodeoxysugars are selected from the group consisting of chlorodeoxysucroses and chlorodeoxygalactosucroses. The bitter tasting sweetening agent is selected from the group consisting of Saccharin, stevioside and Acesulfame-K.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,535,396, issued to Stephens, Jr. et al. and assigned to Pfizer Inc., teaches a method of masking the bitter taste and enhancing the sweet taste of Acesulfame-K by combining the bitter-tasting intense sweetener with the sweetener Alitame.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,158,068, issued to Von Rymon Lipinski et al. and assigned to Hoechst (West Germany), discloses a sweetener mixture to improve the saccharose-like quality of acetosulfame-K. Specifically, acetosulfame-K is combined with at least one intense sweetener selected from the group consisting of aspartyl peptide ester sweeteners, sulfamate sweeteners, sulfimide sweeteners and dihydrochalcone sweeteners.
Thus, a variety of combinations of intense sweeteners are known which have specific sweetness intensities as compared to sucrose. In many ingestible compositions, the use of an intense sweetener also requires the concurrent use of a bulking agent to provide acceptable bulk and texture to the final product. Many and various bulking agents (carriers, diluents, extenders) are known. The particular bulking agent chosen for a specific composition must be sufficient in physical make-up to provide the specific bulk and texture required. The selection of bulking agents is within the capabilities of those of ordinary skill in the art without the need for undue experimentation.
Suitable carbohydrate bulking agents include sugars, sugar alcohols, hydrogenated hexoses, hydrogenated disaccharides, hydrogenated starch hydrolysates and mixtures thereof. Other suitable bulking agents include minerals such as calcium carbonate, talc, titanium dioxide, dicalcium phosphate, celluloses and the like.
Suitable sugar bulking agents include monosaccharides, disaccharides and polysaccharides such as xylose, ribulose, glucose (dextrose), mannose, galactose, fructose (levulose), sucrose (sugar), maltose, invert sugar, partially hydrolyzed starch and corn syrup solids, and mixtures thereof. Mixtures of sucrose and corn syrup solids are the preferred sugar bulking agents.
Suitable sugar alcohol bulking agents include sorbitol, xylitol, mannitol, galactitol, maltitol, and mixtures thereof.
Maltitol is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,708,396 as being a sweet, non-caloric, water-soluble sugar alcohol useful as a bulking agent in the preparation of non-caloric beverages and foodstuffs. Maltitol is made by the hydrogenation of maltose which is the most common reducing disaccharide and is found in starch and other natural products. Starch is prepared from corn, wheat, rice, potatoes, and tapioca among other natural sources by conventional means well known in the art. High maltose containing starch derivatives are usually prepared by the enzymatic action of diastase (usually obtained from malt extract) on starch.
Hydrogenation of maltose may be carried out in the presence of nickel catalysts under basic conditions according to well known procedures such as those disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,968,680, 3,396199, 3,341,609 and 3,691,100.
Suitable hydrogenated starch hydrolysates may include those disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. Re. 25,959, 3,356,811, 4,279,931 and various hydrogenated glucose syrups and/or powders which contain sorbitol, hydrogenated disaccharides, hydrogenated higher polysaccharides, or mixtures thereof. Hydrogenated starch hydrolysates are primarily prepared by the controlled catalytic hydrogenation of corn syrups. The resulting hydrogenated starch hydrolysates are mixtures of monomeric, dimeric, and polymeric saccharides The ratios of these different saccharides give different hydrogenated starch hydrolysates different properties Mixtures of hydrogenated starch hydrolysates, such as Lycasin .sup.R, a commercially available product manufactured by Roquette Freres of France, and Hystar .sup.R, a commercially available product manufactured by Lonza, Inc., of Fairlawn, N.J., are also of interest.
Thus many bulking agents are available for use to prepare products which have acceptable bulk and texture. There is still a need, however, for sweetening compositions which have varying properties and sweetening intensities for use in ingestible compositions. In particular, there is a need for sweetening compositions which have a delayed and enhanced sweetness effect. Such synergistic sweetening compositions would allow for a reduced total amount of sweetening composition for ingestible compositions, would thereby reduce costs, stability problems, cariogenic properties, and the like. The present invention provides such synergistic sweetening compositions which have a delayed and enhanced sweetness effect and also provides various ingestible sweetening compositions which incorporate such synergistic sweetening compositions.